⊂ EUROPE ⊃

EU says there are 150,000 Russian troops at Ukraine border: Russia has deployed 150,000 troops at the border with Ukraine, its biggest-ever military deployment there, the EU’s foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell has said. He warned that Russia was deploying „all kind of materials“ on the border. „It’s the highest military deployment of Russian army in Ukrainian borders ever. It’s clear it’s a matter of concern,“ he said. Despite the developments, Borrell said after a virtual meeting of the EU foreign ministers that, for the time being, there was no move in the field of more sanctions to be imposed on Russia. In a glum assessment of relations with Moscow, Borrell also said that the condition of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was critical and that the 27-nation group would hold the Kremlin accountable for his health and safety. In an interview with the newspaper „Bild am Sonntag“, German Foreign Minister Heiko said that Berlin had urgently demanded that Moscow provide Navalny with adequate medical treatment. “Moscow must switch from provocation to cooperation,” Maas said. Navalny has been transferred to a prison infirmary after 20 days without food amid a warning from his doctor that he could die at any minute. British foreign minister Dominic Raab accused Moscow of being responsible for Navalny’s deteriorating health.
euronews.com, apnews.com, euronews.com, npr.org, reuters.com

EU boosts order of BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine to 600M doses: The EU has ordered an extra 100 million doses of the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine, bringing the total ordered to 600 million, the two drugmakers announced in a statement on Monday. The agreement comes as a result of the European Commission’s decision to exercise an option to order additional doses of the mRNA vaccine included in a purchase agreement signed in February. The 600 million doses, which will be delivered this year, cover two thirds of the EU population, said Sean Marett, chief business and chief commercial officer of BioNTech. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) will announce its updated assessment of the safety of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine this Tuesday.
politico.eu, rnd.de

EU extends Myanmar sanctions over military coup: EU countries on Monday expanded sanctions against Myanmar’s military leadership, targeting ten individuals and two military-controlled companies, Myanmar Economic Holdings Public Company Limited (MEHL) and Myanmar Economic Corporation Limited (MEC). The EU said the individuals targeted by sanctions are all responsible for undermining democracy and the rule of law in Myanmar/Burma, and for repressive decisions and serious human rights violations. The goal of the punishments, said German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, is to force the military into talks. “We’re turning up the pressure in order to get the military to the negotiating table,” Maas said.
consilium.europa.eu, politico.eu

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Harley-Davidson wants to fight back against higher EU tariffs: Harley-Davidson has been hit with an EU import ruling that the motorcycle maker says would impose an import tariff of 56% on its products and keep it from functioning competitively in Europe. Harley-Davidson said the EU ruling would apply to its entire lineup and subject all products—regardless of origin—to the tariff within the trade bloc beginning 1 June. Harley-Davidson has been one of the highest-profile US casualties of recent trade disputes, after the EU put a 25% duty on its bikes and other US goods in 2018. Those levies were a response to tariffs the Trump administration imposed on steel and aluminum from producers in Europe and elsewhere.
wsj.com

EU pushes for convergence of insolvency rules to support recovery: The European Commission is preparing a series of proposals to drive the capital markets union to facilitate the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. One of the most difficult battles will be reducing the differences between national insolvency frameworks. The issue was discussed again on Friday by euro area finance ministers. Eurogroup President Paschal Donohoe said after the Eurogroup’s videoconference that well-functioning insolvency frameworks could make a big difference for the recovery.
euractiv.com

EU launches digital platform to let citizens debate the bloc’s future: The EU has launched a multilingual platform to help citizens participate directly in the Conference on the Future of Europe, a year-long series of debates and discussions that aims to reshape the bloc. The digital platform will allow participants to exchange ideas and engage in discussions with their fellow EU citizens. The conversations will be centred on ten key topics, such as climate change, health and digital transformation, although users will be able to put forward any subject they consider relevant. The platform will be available in the 24 official languages of the EU.
euronews.com

Uyghurs: New report slams China for systematic oppression against Uyghurs dw.com
Covid vaccination passport: How Europe is planning for summer vacation handelsblatt.com
European Investment Bank: EIB President Hoyer comes under pressure over allegations handelsblatt.com
EU taxonomy draft leaves bioenergy and forestry off the hook euractiv.com
Council of the EU adopts position on €14.8 billion EU space programme for 2021-2027 consilium.europa.eu

⊂ QUOTE OF THE DAY ⊃

„The platform represents a key tool to allow citizens to participate and have a say on the future of Europe.“
EU Parliament President David Sassoli welcomed the launch of the multilingual digital platform for the Conference on the Future of Europe.
europarl.europa.eu

⊂ COUNTRIES ⊃

Germany’s Green Party selects Annalena Baerbock as candidate for chancellor: Annalena Baerbock has been named the Green party’s first-ever chancellor candidate, as Germany gears up for elections this year where Chancellor Angela Merkel will exit the political stage. The Greens’ popularity has risen in recent years and the polls now have them as only a few percentage points behind Merkel’s CDU party, as more and more voters turn to climate-related topics. With the conservatives in chaos amid rows over their candidate, the Green Party could even end up the largest in the new coalition. That would mean Baerbock would be Germany’s next chancellor. “A new chapter begins today for our party and, if we do it well, for our country as well,” Baerbock told a news conference on Monday announcing her candidacy. She added that she stood for a country in which climate protection created the future foundation for prosperity, freedom and security.
cnbc.com, dw.com, bbc.com, politico.eu

Czechs say Russian retaliation stronger than expected: The Czech Republic said on Monday Russia’s eviction of 20 Czech embassy employees in response to Prague’s expulsion of 18 Russian staff was a stronger than expected reaction and the government will consider further steps. Acting Czech Foreign Minister Jan Hamacek said Russia had expelled more diplomats than the number of intelligence officers that the Czech Republic had expelled. He asked the EU for a show of solidarity. On Sunday, Russia ordered 20 Czech diplomats to leave the country within a day in response to the Czech government’s expulsion of 18 Russian diplomats it identified as spies from the GRU and the SVR, Russia’s military and foreign intelligence services. The Czech government has said it has reasonable suspicion that two Russian intelligence agents accused of a nerve agent poisoning in Britain in 2018 were behind the ammunition depot blasts four years before that killed two people. On Monday, Industry Minister Karel Havlicek announced that the Czech government will not invite Russia’s Rosatom to take part in security assessments before a planned tender for a new unit at the Dukovany nuclear power plant.
reuters.com, apnews.com, reuters.com

German governing coalition agrees to shorter curfew: Germany’s ruling parties have agreed to change curfew rules on Monday. The changes are part of the so-called emergency brake agreed to between federal, state and local officials last week. Most of the changes had to do with nighttime curfews, which are to go into effect as soon as the seven-day infection rate climbs above 100 in 100,000. Originally, the curfews were set to extend from 9:00 pm until 5 am The new rules would see them begin one hour later, as well as providing a number of other relaxations, such as allowing individuals to walk or jog by themselves until midnight. The German parliament is set to debate the measures on Wednesday. If legislation passes in the Bundestag it will then go to the Federal Council, or Bundesrat. If enacted, the rules would apply until 30 June.
dw.com

Greece removes quarantine for travellers from EU and other countries: Greece has lifted its quarantine requirement for travellers from the EU, provided they have been vaccinated or tested negative for Covid-19 over the previous 72 hours. In Slovakia, people lined up at malls, returned to hair salons and visited libraries on Monday for the first time in months as the central European nation opened shops and services in a limited capacity as part of an easing of coronavirus restrictions.
euronews.com (Greece), reuters.com (Slovakia)

Netherlands: Outrage over test party with 10,000 attendees spiegel.de
Czech Republic: Many Czech Roma don’t acknowledge their nationality in censuses dw.com
Headscarf ban in sports: Muslim women in France criticise discrimination euractiv.de

⊂ POLITJOBS ⊃

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⊂ LAST BUT NOT LEAST ⊃

Hundreds of AstraZeneca doses end up in the garbage in Sweden: A chief physician in the Stockholm region has warned that hundreds of doses of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus accine have to be thrown away every day because people refuse to be vaccinated with it. In an interview with the Swedish television company SVT, Johan Styrud from the Stockholm Doctors‘ Association said that it was often not possible to find people willing to vaccinate quickly enough. If the vaccine is not administered within a few hours, it has to be thrown away.
faz.net